Identifying thresholds in air exposure, water temperature and fish size that determine reflex impairment in brook trout exposed to catch-and-release angling

Author:

Brownscombe Jacob W12ORCID,Ward Taylor D2,Nowell Liane3,Lennox Robert J4,Chapman Jacqueline M2ORCID,Danylchuk Andy J5,Cooke Steven J2

Affiliation:

1. Great Lakes Laboratory for Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences, Fisheries and Oceans Canada , 867 Lakeshore Road, Burlington, Ontario, L7S 1A1, Canada

2. Department of Biology and Institute of Environmental and Interdisciplinary Science Fish Ecology and Conservation Physiology Laboratory, , Carleton University, 1125 Colonel By Dr., Ottawa, Ontario, K1S 5B6, Canada

3. Kenauk Institute , 1000 Chemin Kenauk, Montebello, Quebec, J0V 1L0, Canada

4. NINA – Norwegian Institute for Nature Research , Høgskoleringen 9, Trondheim, 7034, Norway

5. University of Massachusetts Amherst Department of Environmental Conservation, , 160 Holdsworth Way, Amherst, MA, 01003, USA

Abstract

ABSTRACT Understanding the factors that contribute to fish impairment and survival from angling events is essential to guide best angling practices for catch-and-release (C&R) recreational fisheries. Complex interactions often exist between angler behaviour, environmental conditions, and fish characteristics that ultimately determine biological outcomes for fish. Yet, few studies focus on identifying biologically relevant thresholds. We therefore examined the effects of water temperature, air exposure and fish size on reflex impairment and mortality in brook trout Salvelinus fontinalis exposed to experimental and simulated angling stressors (n = 337). Using conditional inference trees, we identified interactions among these factors as well as threshold values within them that determine brook trout reflex impairment as an indicator of whole animal stress. Specifically, longer air exposure times (>30 sec) and warmer temperatures (>19.5°C) had a synergistic effect leading to higher reflex impairment scores. Further, larger fish (>328 mm) were more sensitive to air exposure durations >10 sec. Of the reflex impairment measures, loss of equilibrium and time to regain equilibrium were strongly and moderately associated with brook trout mortality (18–24 h monitoring), although mortality rates were generally low (6%). These findings support previous research that has established strong links between these reflex impairment measures and fish health outcomes in other species. They also highlight the important interactions among air exposure duration, water temperature and fish size that determine impairment in brook trout, providing specific thresholds to guide best angling practices for C&R fisheries. This approach may be widely applicable to generate similar thresholds that can be encouraged by regulators and adopted by anglers for other common C&R fishes.

Publisher

Oxford University Press (OUP)

Subject

Management, Monitoring, Policy and Law,Nature and Landscape Conservation,Ecological Modeling,Physiology

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